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its no secret the LHW division has recently fallen on hard times with many fighters retiring, leaving the org, or simply aging. Along with jones jones being suspended, and DC moving to HW what was once the premier division of the ufc has become lackluster.
Here’s a couple good reasons why that’s about to change:
Dominick Reyes (10-0): Dominick has looked fantastic in all 4 of his ufc fights, most recently with a dominant win over LHW mainstay OSP, he showcased that he’s not just a prospect, he’s capable of competing at the highest level right now.
llir Latifi (20-5): Latifi has consistently improved since his debut in the ufc. While he has taken a couple losses, they’ve come by the hands of some of the LHW’s premier fighters, and as he continues to improve Latifi may end up challenging for a belt in the near future.
Thiago Santos (19-6): Thiago simply put is a beast. He had competed at middle weight with a solid amount of success for sometime before recently transitioning to LHW. His premier against Erik Anders showcased he may have a bit more power at LHW and it didn’t sacrifice his cardio. He looked good and in his last 7 fights is 6-1 with his only loss coming from David Branch.
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Jon Jones is returning. After awaiting results of his trial and once again surrounded by a boat load of controversy Jon jones is making his long awaited return. Most fans can’t wait to see him back in action, but more importantly we’re hoping he will stay the course and not let outside the ring distractions pull him away from the sport again.
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Anthony Smith (30-13): Anthony Smith is a huge question mark. He has always had KO power when he fought most of his career at middleweight, but recently moved up to LHW and got two back to back round 1 kos. Some people attribute it to his opposition and their age, but if it’s less to do with that, and more to do with his change in weight along with his already powerful hands, Anthony Smith could cause problems for anyone at LHW.
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Khalil Rountree (7-2): Khalil Rountree had a rough start to his UFC career with 2 straight loses, but now he has strung together 3 straight 1st round ko’s including his most recent highlight stoppage against decorates striker Gokhan Saki. If Rountree can show his power will cause problems for fighters towards the top of the rankings, he could be a serious contender.
All in all I think the future of the LHW division looks promising, I think all these guys could be top 10 contenders and some of them have the potential to challenge for the title. I say give it a year and this division won’t be so shallow after all.
Here’s a couple good reasons why that’s about to change:
Dominick Reyes (10-0): Dominick has looked fantastic in all 4 of his ufc fights, most recently with a dominant win over LHW mainstay OSP, he showcased that he’s not just a prospect, he’s capable of competing at the highest level right now.
llir Latifi (20-5): Latifi has consistently improved since his debut in the ufc. While he has taken a couple losses, they’ve come by the hands of some of the LHW’s premier fighters, and as he continues to improve Latifi may end up challenging for a belt in the near future.
Thiago Santos (19-6): Thiago simply put is a beast. He had competed at middle weight with a solid amount of success for sometime before recently transitioning to LHW. His premier against Erik Anders showcased he may have a bit more power at LHW and it didn’t sacrifice his cardio. He looked good and in his last 7 fights is 6-1 with his only loss coming from David Branch.
Jon Jones is returning. After awaiting results of his trial and once again surrounded by a boat load of controversy Jon jones is making his long awaited return. Most fans can’t wait to see him back in action, but more importantly we’re hoping he will stay the course and not let outside the ring distractions pull him away from the sport again.
Anthony Smith (30-13): Anthony Smith is a huge question mark. He has always had KO power when he fought most of his career at middleweight, but recently moved up to LHW and got two back to back round 1 kos. Some people attribute it to his opposition and their age, but if it’s less to do with that, and more to do with his change in weight along with his already powerful hands, Anthony Smith could cause problems for anyone at LHW.
Khalil Rountree (7-2): Khalil Rountree had a rough start to his UFC career with 2 straight loses, but now he has strung together 3 straight 1st round ko’s including his most recent highlight stoppage against decorates striker Gokhan Saki. If Rountree can show his power will cause problems for fighters towards the top of the rankings, he could be a serious contender.
All in all I think the future of the LHW division looks promising, I think all these guys could be top 10 contenders and some of them have the potential to challenge for the title. I say give it a year and this division won’t be so shallow after all.
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